The present invention relates to performance apparatus which execute a music performance in response to user's operation of a plurality of key switches, as well as tone generation methods using the performance apparatus.
Performance apparatus called “TENORI-ON” (trademark) has been known, for example, from
Non-patent Literature 1: “Design, tenori-on [searched on Feb. 22, 2005], Internet Homepage of Yamaha Corporation <URL:http://www.yamaha.co.jp/ design, tenori-on/>.
FIG. 1 is a front view of the performance apparatus (TENORI-ON). FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of a key switch group 10 of the performance apparatus, where hatched circles indicate key switches 100 selected (i.e., selectively operated) by a human operator or user. Because details of the performance apparatus 1 will be later discussed in relation to embodiments of the present invention, only a part of the performance apparatus 1 is explained here.
The key switch group 10 comprises a total of 256 key switches 100 arranged in two dimensions, with 16 key switches in each of two orthogonal (i.e., vertical and horizontal) directions. Each of the key switches 100 is indicated by X and Y coordinates. For example, the left-lower-end key switch 100 is indicated by “mtSW(1, 1)”, and the right-upper-end key switch 100 is indicated by “mtSW(16, 16)”.
The key switches 100 of the group 10 are assigned respective tones. For example, different tone pitches are assigned or set in advance to the key switches mtSW(A, 1)-mtSW(A, 16) (“A” represents an integer in the range of values “1”-“16”) of each vertical row, to form musical scales. The key switches of each horizontal row represent respective tone generation timing (beat timing); namely, predetermined reproduction timing differences are sequentially set to the key switches mtSW(1, B)-mtSW(16, B) (“B” represents an integer in the range of values “1”-“16”) of each horizontal row.
Music performance is executed in this conventionally-known performance apparatus in the following manner. First, a user or human operator selects desired ones of the key switches 100 arranged in two dimensions along the X- and Y-coordinate axes. In the illustrated example, C3(60), D3(62), . . . , D5(86) are sequentially allocated in advance to the key switches mtSW(A, 1)-mtSW(A, 16) of each vertical row, as shown in FIG. 2. Here, numerical values indicated within “()” are numerical values (note numbers) indicating tone pitches.
The performance apparatus 1 creates or forms a music piece data set representative of a music piece as shown, for example, in FIG. 19, on the basis of tone generating data assigned to the selected key switches 100, and then stores the thus-formed music piece data into a memory.
FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an image of music piece data obtained when the key switches 100 have been selected or operated by the user in a pattern as illustrated in FIG. 2.
Once the user performs reproducing operation, the performance apparatus 1 reproduces the stored music piece data set. Namely, the tone generating data are sequentially reproduced in accordance with the respective tone generation timing. In the case as shown in FIG. 2 and 19, the tone generating data of the 1st to 16th beats are reproduced in accordance with the predetermined timing; namely, “silent”, “F”, “silent”, “D”, . . . , are reproduced at the first beat, second beat, third beat, fourth beat, . . . , respectively. Upon completion of the reproduction of the 16th beat, the performance apparatus 1 returns to the 1st beat to again reproduce the same tone generating data of the 1st to 16th beats.
However, the aforementioned conventionally-known performance apparatus can only sequentially reproduce the tone generating data of the 16 beats corresponding to 16 key switches, arranged in the X-axis direction, in a repeated fashion; namely, in the conventionally-known performance apparatus, the same tone generating data of the 16 beats are merely reproduced repetitively. Therefore, with the conventionally-known performance apparatus, it is difficult to impart complicated variation to the music piece, and thus the music piece reproduced tends to be monotonous and can not give a sufficient feeling of modulation or intonation to the user. Further, with the conventionally-shown performance apparatus, a musical scale once set can not be varied at a later time, which also constitutes causes of the monotonousness and insufficient intonation.